


Unread Love Letters

by BeigeRabbit



Category: Corpse Party (Video Game), Corpse Party: Tortured Souls
Genre: Arguably also in between the ending of blood covered and BoS, Because nobody is gonna read this, But this is cute!! Yoshiki writes Ayumi a love letter and she hates it but it works out in the end!!, F/M, I'm writing for a dead fandom which I love, This takes place after the blood covered Manga, ayushiki, except the 8 people when I posted it the first time ....
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:28:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24029638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeigeRabbit/pseuds/BeigeRabbit
Summary: Grabbing his pen, Yoshiki ripped off a new piece of loose-leaf and began writing once again.“Ayumi,"He looked at the piece of paper, raising an eyebrow after writing her name.That could work?ORThe one where Yoshiki writes a terrible love letter and Ayumi refuses to read it.
Relationships: Ayushiki - Relationship, Kishinuma Yoshiki/Shinozaki Ayumi
Comments: 10
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

_“Shinozaki,  
I’m deeply in love with you.”_

Yoshiki put the pen down after crumpling up the piece of loose-leaf in front of him, throwing it over his shoulder nowhere near the trash can, the discarded piece of paper landing amongst the other missed shots scattered across the wooden floor. The bedroom was lit by the lamp on his desk as Yoshiki sat quietly next to the ever-thinning notebook next to him.

_Am I seriously someone to write a fucking love letter..._

Sighing, Yoshiki stood up and stretched his back before walking over to the fridge, kneeling down and scanning the bottom half for any kind of gummy snacks leftover. Narrowing his eyes, he grabbed a small pink package. He made his way down the hall and slumped back over to the desk, popping a gummy in his mouth as he sat down. Grabbing his pen, Yoshiki ripped off a new piece of loose-leaf and began writing once again.

“ _Ayumi,"_

He looked at the piece of paper, raising an eyebrow after writing her name.

_That could work?_

“ _Ayumi, …”_

The words never came. Heaving a large sigh, Yoshiki glared at his phone and quickly typed into the search bar “ _how to write a love letter_ ”. His shoulders tensed scrolling through the search results, embarrassed. He came across a pink page filled with pictures of marshmallows, chibi characters, and the words “Doki Doki” across a large letter sealed with a heart sticker. His stomach churned.

_Machi’s Love Test! Writing a Love Letter for Your One and Only!_

Yoshiki ate another gummy slowly biting it apart as he lowered his phone and looked outside his window. The sun had gone down significantly. Had he really been thinking about this for that long?

It had been exactly four months since returning from Heavenly Host, and while Yoshiki thought he would be prompted to make his feelings known immediately upon coming home out just for the thrill of still being alive, he’s instead found himself slumped back almost to where he used to be.

Naomi and Satoshi started dating, but after the trauma of losing Shinohara, they still haven’t brought it to the public yet. Satoshi manages to smile every day though. He's is convinced it’s the only reason Naomi even shows up to school nowadays. Shinozaki had been quiet since returning, no question the events that took place weighs on her shoulders more than the rest of them could imagine. Yoshiki had managed to get closer to Shinozaki since coming home, even if it mostly consisted of having long talks with her as he walked her home and to school each day.

Escorting Ayumi before and after school occurred the first few days after returning from Heavenly Host. When being alone was too much handle, no matter for how long. Yoshiki had offered when he noticed the severe bags underneath Ayumi's eyes, and when met with a surprising agreement, the trend never seemed to stop.

…But there were mornings where her hand would brush his, and without breaking a sweat Yoshiki would try to calmly place their hands together just when Ayumi would have to sneeze, or point to something, or pick something up or put something down- the list goes on. So now here Yoshiki was, sitting at a small wooden desk in his even smaller apartment, crumpled paper all around him, the clock hitting 18:00 and still having no clue what to do besides eating small pink gummies.

He sighed, nibbling the head off one of the gummies before placing the package down and lifting his phone from his lap where his hand rested. His eyes began to scan the rest of the website.

_Machi Tip #1) Stating the purpose of your letter!_

_You want your love to know right away that this is a love letter!_

_They’re diving right in with you! On the sea to love! ~ （_ ´∀｀）

Yoshiki felt his cheeks get hot, as he transitioned his view from his phone to the piece of paper resting in front of him.

_“Ayumi,_   
_This is a love letter.”_

_Perfect. That’ll reel her in._

_Machi Tip #2) Recall a romantic memory!_

_Think of a time you know they must’ve felt that mushy feeling inside too!_

_Make them remember that feeling! ~_

_They’ll begin to see you_ (◠ω◠✿) _in that way as they read…_

Yoshiki thought about a romantic time they shared, unsure of whether anything that occurred in Heavenly Host could be considered to have been “romantic” due to the circumstances. He looked down and squinted at the paper, beginning to write.

_“Ayumi,_   
_This is a love letter. I wanted to hold your hand yesterday morning, but you moved it before I could to point at the sound of a bird you heard.”_

Yoshiki tilted his head, feeling a pang in his stomach. He wished he had someone like Morishige or Mayu to help him write. They’d see it as a script and the words would leave effortlessly.

Sighing annoyed, he scrolled down to the third bullet. Bring it home Machi.

_Machi Tip #3) Reaffirm your love and commitment!_

_Let her know it’s her! It’s always been her!_

_You’ll never be deterred because nobody is her!_ ヽ(^◇^*)/

Bug-eyed, Yoshiki closed his phone, placed it on his desk, and began writing the final part of his letter.

“ _Ayumi,_  
 _This is a love letter. I wanted to hold your hand yesterday morning, but you moved it before I could to point at the sound of a bird you heard. I’ve followed through on my promises to protect you no matter what, and now I promise I will love you no matter what. No matter how many moments are passed up because you chose to look at a bird.”_

He couldn’t help himself but grin, _Machi would appreciate this I think?_

Moving his pen to the bottom of the paper, he rolled his eyes before writing one final,

“ _Love,  
_ _Yoshiki Kishinuma_ ”

Sitting back in his chair, Yoshiki lifted the piece of paper and examined his work. His penmanship was sloppy as all hell, but the words were legible enough. Moving to get up from his chair, he crossed the room to grab an empty envelope he had from one of the bills mailed to his apartment earlier. Slipping the letter inside, he wrote on the front-

  
“ _AYUMI, Please Read. Not A Bill. – Kishinuma_ ” and placed it into the front of his backpack.

He sat down on his bed, quickly sending a text in response to Satoshi, tossing another gummy into his mouth. Tomorrow, he would give this to her. He’d be damned to not give it to her. The world could end tomorrow, but not until Shinozaki read this letter.


	2. Revised

Walking to school next to Shinozaki with this awful letter in his backpack, Yoshiki began to hope the world really would just end before he could actually give it to her. Walking along the sidewalk to school, Ayumi seemed lost in thought, zoned out while staring ahead.

“ _You tired this morning?”_ Yoshiki asked, giving a stretch himself to indicate he wasn’t totally awake either.

“ _Huh? Oh, yeah. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”_ Ayumi responded, lifting her head up to look at Yoshiki before back ahead.

“ _Bad dream?”_ He nodded.

“ _Every now and then I still feel the headaches or smell of … you know”_ Ayumi scrunched her face up, eyebrows slumped as she tried to not remember too vividly right now.

Yoshiki mumbled, looking off the side, still unsure of how to handle this. Of everything they had talked about, Ayumi admitting a weakness was never one of them. Walking into the school, they changed their shoes together at the door, talking about their plans for the day before heading up to class. Yoshiki halted in his tracks, placing a hand on his neck before explaining.

“ _Actually, I can meet you there. I forgot I have to do something first”._

Ayumi looked at him from a side view, tilting her head slightly before nodding and moving on ahead. “ _Don’t be late Kishinuma-Kun!”_ she yelled as she went up the stairs.

Yoshiki let the smile fall flat off his face once she left, returning his arm back to his side and assessing the area. He intended on putting this letter he wrote in her shoebox once she left, but definitely not when there were still people around. Just then, Satoshi walked up, smiling and waving hello as he took his shoes off.

“ _Yoshiki, how’re you doin?_ ” Satoshi smiled, placing his slipper on his right foot properly.

Yoshiki mumbled, “ _I’m doing the thing.”_

He really wished he could’ve just taken that sentence back the second he said it. Satoshi gained this devilish grin before giving Yoshiki a nice whack on the shoulder for good measure.

“ _I thought you’d chicken out.”_

Yoshiki frowned, eyebrows furrowed while looking deathly back at Satoshi’s dumb smacked face.

“ _Well, I’m here at the shoeboxes, aren’t I?”_ He sighed, slowly removing the letter from his bag. The crowd of people had dispersed significantly, meaning the bell was going to ring at any second. Upon seeing the letter, Satoshi coo’d, laughing while Yoshiki frantically asked him to shut the hell up.

“ _I’ll see you in class, do you have an excuse for being late?”_ Satoshi asked over his shoulder before leaving.

“ _Is today any different?”_ Yoshiki grinned, prompting Satoshi to frown before cascading the rest of the steps.

As the crowds thinned, Yoshiki let out the breath he didn't know he was holding, turning around to face Shinozaki's shoe box. He placed the letter underneath her right shoe, then hurriedly got as far away from that damned box as possible. Climbing up the steps, Yoshiki walked into class with his head bowed. Moving to his seat, he ignored the look from Ayumi as he chose to look out the window instead. He knew she was going to only scold him for being late again.

He looked outside like it was the most interesting thing in the world, and waited until he could see out the corner of his eye that Ayumi had turned back around before lowering his head onto his desk, wishing the day would be over already.

He felt his phone buzz from within his pocket, another text from Satoshi, “ _< 3”. Tsk…_

**…**

As the final bell for the day rang, Yoshiki was nowhere to be seen. At least not to the naked eye. Choosing to be sneaky, Yoshiki sat in the 2-5 classroom which had a window pointed to see the inside of the main hall. He had offered to help tidy up after the day was over, choosing to stay very near the desks on the side by the window.

He squinted his eyes, watching…

His vision locked in on Ayumi as she walked down the stairs and opened her shoebox to change. She looked at the letter inside, swiveled her head side to side, then threw it back into the shoebox after changing and turned to leave.

_Are you kidding me…_

“Sensei I forgot I actually have afterschool responsibilities I’m so sorryIhavetogo-“

Speaking rapidly, Yoshiki took off towards the main hall, ignoring the confused response of the Sensei answering back. Barreling down the steps he grabbed the letter from Ayumi's shoebox. He inspected the edges, unopen. _She really just left it behind?_ As Yoshiki began to put his shoes on, he lowered his head as he saw Satoshi walk towards him.

 _“So.”_ Satoshi grinned, bowing down in front of Yoshiki, tilting his head trying to grab a glimpse at the boy’s face. _“So,”_ Yoshiki responded, pushing his body up, causing Satoshi to take a step back at the sudden movement.

Yoshiki noticed the boys frown and sighed, “ _She left it in her fucking shoebox. She read the cover- and then left it.”_

Satoshi tightened his lips before mumbling a quick “ _hum”_ , as he tapped an index finger on his cheek to indicate he was in thought.

_“So try again.”_

Yoshiki blinked at the response, _“Try again? Are you nuts?”_ Satoshi shrugged, nodding his head, “ _Yeah, try again. Maybe she didn’t realize what it was. Get creative- put it in her notebook when she steps out of class and she’ll find it that way- or put it in her mailbox. Or you know, put it directly in her hands.”_

Yoshiki felt himself grimace at that last option. _Satoshi is right though…_ he thought to himself, running a hand through his hair in defeat. _I’m going to have to get persistent if I expect her to read it_. Suddenly Satoshi was taking the letter from his hand, guiding Yoshiki to follow him up the stairs of the main hall. Confused, Yoshiki followed, looking around to see if anyone was watching them. Walking up to class 2-9, Yoshiki began to walk faster to catch up to Satoshi.

“ _What do you think you’re doing?”_ he asked, grabbing the boys' sleeve to slow him down.

“ _Just watch.”_ Satoshi hushed Yoshiki, swatting his arm away as he walked inside the still-lit classroom. Making his way over to Ayumi's desk, Satoshi grabbed a marker from his bag and wrote on top of the letter, “EMERGENCY.” Before sliding it into the girl’s desk, making sure the tip of the letter peaked out just enough to be noticeable to anyone sitting there. 

Yoshiki just stared, _“so you’re real smooth huh…”_

Satoshi frowned immediately, bending over to look hurt as he grabbed his chest. “ _I have the girlfriend here; did you forget that!”_ Satoshi said instead, his pain suddenly gone as he gave Yoshiki a toothy grin, lightly punching him in the chest instead. Yoshiki let a smile peek through as he nodded his head, “ _Oi yeah… you’re probably right. You’ll have a front seat view tomorrow to see if this works.”_ He shrugged, gesturing vaguely to the desk as the two began to walk out the classroom. _She can’t ignore me this time._

…

Walking to school the next morning, Yoshiki was sure to look nonchalant as he strolled alongside Ayumi before casually throwing out, “ _So, anything interesting happen yesterday?”_

Ayumi continued looking ahead as she shook her head, _“Not really. Why?”_

Yoshiki pressed further, “ _Nothing at all huh. No funny stories, didn’t read anything note-worthy?”_

She furrowed her brows, looking up at Yoshiki this time as she responded, _“No… you’re acting weird Kishinuma-Kun. What are you getting at?”_

He rolled his eyes, swatting the air as if that would dissipate the conversation, _“Tch... nothing.”_

As the two walked into school, he shot Satoshi another text from his phone as he changed into his slippers, _“You in class yet?”_ He felt his phone buzz with a response.

Bzz. _“Yeah, letters still there. The honey trap is set ;))”_

Quickly shutting his phone again, he followed Ayumi to classroom 2-9. As they entered, Yoshiki almost laughed at the way Satoshi’s focus made his eyes look, giving Yoshiki a quick hand signal that he assumed must’ve meant something along the lines of “ _You’re doing great”. S_ itting in his desk, Ayumi walked over and began talking to their new Sensei- well, new to four of them. Yoshiki felt his phone buzz,

Bzz. _“You nervous”_

Lifting his head back up, he was met with Satoshi smiling back at him, Naomi next to him as she smiled while nodding her head. _Does she know too?!_

Yoshiki lowered his head back to his phone before responding, “ _You did not tell Naomi…”_

An immediate vibration came.

Bzz. “ _:o”_

Looking up, Satoshi was shaking his head no while Naomi contradicted him, shaking her head yes. _Seriously…_

As the class started, Ayumi walked over to take her seat, sitting in front of Yoshiki's. Peering over to look at her, he watched as she put her things away and encountered the letter. She lifted the letter up, ran a finger over the word ‘EMERGENCY’, then cramped it back inside her desk.

Yoshiki leaned forward, eyebrows furrowed as he whispered: “ _Hey what was that?”_

Ayumi instead lifted a finger and said a curt “ _Sh.”_ Motioning back to the sensei talking at the front of the room.

 _So…_ Yoshiki thought, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms, _this is how it’s gonna go._


	3. Revised

It had been exactly one week of Yoshiki hiding the letter in Ayumi’s possession only for her to disregard it like it was some bad luck chain letter the second she found it. He had tried to hide it in her shoebox again, her desk, her notebook, even a stack of papers she was expected to grade for the Sensei. Each and every time without fail Ayumi would find a reason to either disregard it or give it back. Yoshiki was sick and tired of it and was not going to be pushed around anymore by this letter _or_ Shinozaki. Times were getting desperate, and desperation yielded the quickest results.

So that is how Yoshiki found himself there that misty Thursday night. The moon was shining, the stars blinding. Birds chirping hushed into crickets singing, and of course, Yoshiki sat on top of Satoshi’s shoulders with the most unworthy letter in his hand of all time outside of Ayumi's bedroom at 21:00.

 _“You know, you’re a lot heavier than you look”_ Satoshi huffed, trying to shift Yoshiki's weight on his neck to the best of his abilities.

 _“It’s all muscle don’t worry.”_ Yoshiki chimed in, kicking his feet into Satoshi’s right side, “C _an you move over a little, I need to get the right angle…"_

Satoshi groaned, taking a few wobbly steps over in the direction Yoshiki’s feet pushed him in. He looked up to see Yoshiki finally grab the edge of the windowsill. “ _Is that the right room?”_ Satoshi inquired, trying to tilt his head back to get a better view.

“ _Yeah, this is it. Okay, I’m gonna throw it in.”_ Yoshiki coached, balancing himself best he could before chucking the letter into the room, watching it scatter across the floor and land by Ayumi’s bed frame. _She has a pretty small bed…_ was the first thought that passed his mind before Yoshiki felt the heat on the back of his ears, _this is Shinozaki's bedroom...-_ just then, before Yoshiki could call to Satoshi to let him down, he saw the door click open.

Ayumi’s figure came into view, walking towards her desk, she noticed a shadow by the window. “Kishi-?” She croaked as her eyes widened, “ _WHAT ARE YOU DOING! GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT!”_ Ayumi cried, rushing forward and pushing at Yoshiki’s shoulders. Like a stack of cards, Yoshiki came tumbling down on top of Satoshi, both groaning and rolling onto their backs as they hit the lawn beneath them. Using his elbow to prop himself up, Yoshiki directed his gaze up to the second story window, seeing Ayumi bounce her head outside the windowsill to see the two boys sat in agony in the dirt. 

“ _Mochida-kun? Kishinuma-kun? What are you two doing here?!”_ She yelled from the window. _Fair enough…_

Satoshi got up first, waving a small “ _Hello!”_ before turning around to help Yoshiki stand up. The two swatted away any dirt on their clothes before Yoshiki could respond.

“ _You need to read that letter.”_ Yoshiki decided on, saying it loudly enough for Ayumi to hear.

“ _Is that what this is about?!”_ She asked angrily, turning around for which Yoshiki can only assume was to find the poor letter. It had been through enough.

“ _You should’ve just handed it to her, you know.”_ Satoshi shrugged, still brushing off any remaining dirt on his back. Yoshiki turned his head slowly in almost astonishment, _this guy…_ Before he could choose his response, Ayumi appeared at the window once again. _“This letter. This TEPCO electric bill letter, with the word ‘emergency’ on it. That’s what you had to get to me through my window?”_ Ayumi seemed less angry now, and more genuinely confused.

Yoshiki raised an eyebrow, placing a hand behind his neck as he stammered through his response, “ _It’s not really a TEPCO bill…”_

Satoshi began to stifle a laugh before Yoshiki could elbow him in the ribs. His embarrassment was really on display right now. Ayumi let out a long breath before conceding a quiet, “ _I’ll be down_.” Then disappearing from the window.

Yoshiki turned to face Satoshi, suddenly frantic, “ _She said she’s coming down? "_

Satoshi shrugged, _"Looks like it..."_ he stretched out his words as he looked to his bike as if to ask permission for him to leave. Yoshiki bit his cheek before pushing Satoshi towards the bike with one hand, “Y _eah yeah get out of here. This could be ugly.”_ Satoshi gave a sad smile before patting Yoshiki on the shoulder, turning around and leaving the scene of the crime.

Yoshiki turned back around to see Ayumi walk outside of her house in a pair of satin pajamas. _Those shorts are a little small…_ Yoshiki averted his gaze as she walked closer to the boy. She held the letter up to him, but no words left her mouth. Yoshiki bit away at his cheek some more as he took the letter, trying to explain what his real plan here was as if it didn’t just end by throwing it through her window.

 _“I worked hard on it, and I wanted you to read this.”_ He hesitated, his shoulders slumping as he bowed his head. _“You wouldn’t read it all week. It was important.”_

He looked up to see Ayumi slowly tilting her head, a soft expression on her face as her fingers reached for the envelope from Yoshiki's grasp, beginning to tear open the letter.

Startled, Yoshiki shook his hands taking a large step back, “ _Not in front of me!”_

Ayumi’s expression grew cold once again, her movements stopping. _“Then I don’t want to read it.”_

Yoshiki was left quiet for a moment before asking, “ _Why?”_

Ayumi scrunched her face once more, looking down with her brows furrowed, _“Why would I want to read something so important that you yourself couldn’t personally hand it to me.”_ Yoshiki watched her expression, feeling a churn in his stomach. Begrudgingly, he let out a soft sigh as he answered, _“If you hate it, don’t hate me too.”_ Ayumi pouted out her bottom lip, seeming lost in thought before going to open the letter once again.

The boy sat there and watched as she read. He observed how her eyes moved over the letter, her shoulders visibly get tense. It felt like hours had passed before she finally spoke.

“ _I didn’t point to any bird yesterday, Kishinuma-kun.”_

Yoshiki placed his hands in his pockets, leaning back as if to sound cold, _“Yeah well, you were supposed to read this about a week ago.”_

“ _Hum.”_ Was all she responds with, before placing the letter back in the envelope.

 _“So,”_ Yoshiki started, unsure of where this sentence was going, _“I could make you dinner one night. If you wanted.”_

Ayumi shifted her weight from one leg to the other, crossing her arms before scratching her head. Advocating for himself, Yoshiki continued, _“I have to cook for myself all of the time since I live by myself, it wouldn’t be half bad.”_

This had Ayumi shift her weight again before a small smile crept upon her face, _“Could you make Yaki Udon?”_

Hearing her say anything but a 'no' instantly made him relax, feeling his chest decompress. _“The stir-fry noodle dish? For sure. Wanna come over tomorrow around 18:00?”_

The girl began playing with the hem of her pajama shirt, then holding her hands at her chest visibly becoming nervous, _“You would have to text me your address.”_

 _Score._ Yoshiki beamed, taking out his phone right then and there.

 _“So I’ll see you tomorrow at 18:00 sharp...?”_ He grinned, texting out the final digits of his address before hitting send.

“ _I’m not going over to a boys' house late at night to ‘have dinner’”_ she narrowed her eyes as she motioned her hands into air quotes, looking as Yoshiki frantically shook his head, waving his hands to signal no.

“ _Because I’m not that kind of girl. I wouldn’t go.”_ She grumbled, pursing his lips tightly.

“ _And what fun would that be,”_ Yoshiki smirked, leaning back as he shrugged his shoulders. Minutes passed before a small, “ _Okay.”_

Yoshiki leaned forward again, unsure if he heard her correctly.

“... _I’ll see you then.”_ Ayumi responded, turning around only to shift her gaze towards Yoshiki one last time, _“Yoshiki-kun.”_

Yoshiki winked but was unsure if Ayumi had noticed or really just let it slide. As she walked back into her house, Yoshiki's eyes glazed over her figure, watching her hips sway as she made her way back inside. He immediately opened Satoshi’s number and typed out a quick, “ _The bee is in the honey.”_

He felt his phone vibrate with Satoshi’s response, “ _What”_

Yoshiki typed again, “ _The bee. She’s in the honey. Like she liked what I wrote- I think”_

Bzz _. “Who’s the bee?”_

_“Shinozaki”_

Bzz. “Oh, and – you’re the honey?”

_“Oi, I meant she’s coming over tomorrow, I’m going to cook her dinner.”_

Bzz. _“Are you cooking with honey or are you the honey?”_

Yoshiki closed his phone and began walking home.

Bzz. _“Yoshiki?”_

Bzz. _“Who’s the honey??”_


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff, fluff, and a little fluff right on top.

As the clock hit 17:30, Yoshiki picked himself up from his couch, making his way over to the kitchen to take out the bowl of kombu and sardines setting in water overnight from his fridge. He grabbed the piece of paper printed on the counter and smoothed out the crinkled edges with the palm of his hand so it would be legible. He had spent the night prior up for all hours trying to find the best recipe for Yaki Udon that he could so that Ayumi would like his dish. 

Keeping his attention on the T.V. that was still playing in the background, the boy transitioned his view from the paper recipe to the dish, pouring the bowl into a pot of water and removing the kombu right as it came to boil. Setting a timer for 20 minutes after adding in the bonito shavings, Yoshiki took a seat at his barstool, his eyes scanning over the apartment for anything left behind that needed to be cleaned before Ayumi arrived. If his timing was right, she should arrive right as the broth was about done. 

Continuing to watch the T.V., Yoshiki felt his heartbeat pick up as he heard a series of knocks on the door. As he picked up the remote to turn the volume down, Yoshiki crossed the living room, opening the door to be greeted by the small girl in his doorframe wearing a simple t-shirt and frilly shorts. _She hadn’t dressed up for this dinner either, huh_.

“ _You made it.”_ He spoke coolly, opening the door and gesturing for Ayumi to come in.

 _“I was beginning to get hungry.”_ She jested, walking into the boy's dimly lit apartment. The sound of the T.V. was the only thing to be heard as she looked around, Yoshiki felt his shoulders tense back up again as he thought of what to do next. _What would Satoshi tell him to do…_

 _“You can take a seat at the breakfast bar, dinners just getting started. Do you want anything to drink?”_ His hand motioned to where he had been sitting while cooking, ears being alerted by the alarm going off by the stovetop. He picked up his pace to the stove, turning off the alarm and the burner. Adding the bonito shavings, he turned to Ayumi expecting a response to his offer. She was sitting at the barstool, watching him cook before she blinked and realized she never answered.

“ _Just a glass of water would be great, thank you.”_

Yoshiki pressed her, _“No liquor?”_ he smirked, watching as her eyes widened at the offer.

“ _No! I’m not drinking alone with you.”_ She stuck her nose up, turning her head at the idea.

The boy merely shrugged, “ _Even after everything we all went through, you don’t look for ways to help you calm down?”_

She nodded her head slightly less convincingly a second time. Humming, Yoshiki returned his attention to the glass he was grabbing from the cabinet above him, _not like I had any great liquor on me anyways_. As he poured and handed Ayumi the glass of water, he looked over to the stovetop once more before straining the broth, pouring it back into the pot once again.

 _“So is this your favorite meal or something?”_ He inquired, eyeballing the amount of soy sauce to add.

Ayumi smiled from her seat, nodding her head, _“I had this once a few years ago while I was out and it’ll all I’ve thought about ever since.”_ Her eyes glossed over as he only imagined she was picturing the dish in her head.

 _“I bet I can make it just as good.”_ He dared, peeping an eye in her direction.

The girl looked up, raising an eyebrow as she fixed the hair tie around one of her pigtails, _“I’d like to see you try.”_

Yoshiki looked on at her for a beat before asking, _“Do you ever take those out?”_

He felt instant regret as he watched her eyes widen and eyebrows droop, _“Why- do they look bad? Are you insulting me?”_

 _“No!”_ he defended himself, _“I’ve just never seen you with your hair down. Metaphorically and literally.”_

She seemed to be somewhat soothed by this, subconsciously still slowly playing with her hair while in thought.

 _“So,”_ He coughed, motioning to the array of food on his rather small counters. _“Would you like to help me chop up the fish cakes, mushrooms, and/or leeks?”_

Moving to sit up, Ayumi took one last sip of the water in front of her before making her way into the kitchen, _“If I want it any good I’d better help.”_ She mimicked, sticking out her tongue as she collected the proper vegetables and fish in front of her. _“Do you have a knife?”_ she asked as she assessed the area. Yoshiki felt his heartbeat in his chest as he handed her a knife from the utensils drawer. _“I, uh, I’m following this recipe. If you want to take care of what goes into the soup, I can cover the broth and noodles.”_ He gulped as he motioned to the pieces of paper by the stove he had been reading. He received a nod from Ayumi in affirmation, and the two began to work at their individual stations within his cramped kitchen. Yoshiki would never admit the number of times he hoped Ayumi was purposefully bumping into him, having their elbows knock together or touching his shoulder to move past him. As the ingredients came together, Yoshiki leaned over the hot pot on the stoves burner, carefully placing the food in an aesthetically pleasing way in the pot, cracking an egg on top in the center before putting the lid back on to let it steam for another minute.

 _“I had begun setting the table, you can take a seat and I’ll bring you a serving if you want.”_ He timidly offered, showing her the dining room table set up in his small living room. He felt relieved when she smiled, thanking him as she crossed the room to sit at the small table, taking her water with her.

Yoshiki carefully made her dish look as impressive as possible in his eyes, placing two pieces of crispy shrimp on top of the noodles, scooping a small portion of the egg alongside the rest of the toppings. Walking over to the table, he made a snooty face followed with, _“Dinner is now served.”_ As he placed the dish in front of her, Ayumi looked up and tilted her head, placing a finger on her chin.

_“I don’t believe it is fine dining when I helped cook half of the meal…”_

Yoshiki sat down at the other side of the table, their knees touching lightly before he lost her touch as she pulled her legs away. _“Yeah, well, look at what we’re capable of.”_ He used his chopsticks to pick up one of the fried shrimp, biting down on it satisfactorily.

Ayumi’s reaction was small, but he noticed the faint smile on her face as she picked up one of the noodles, eating it slowly. She closed her eyes and the smile grew wider. Opening them once again, she made eye contact with Yoshiki as she gushed, _“This is amazing. It’s better than I remember.”_

Yoshiki leaned back in his chair, taking in the fact that not only was Shinozaki pleased with his cooking, but it was better than she had was expecting. _This dates not going half bad._

As the two ate, Yoshiki joked one more time as he began to gather the empty plates. _“You sure you don’t want to celebrate this meal with a nice cocktail?”_

Ayumi sat up from her slumped position in the chair, clearly full from her meal. _“I’ve never had a drink before, Kishinuma-kun. I don’t know if I want to start now.”_

Yoshiki turned around, facing Ayumi as he goaded, _“I thought you were calling me Yoshiki now? Besides, I can really only make a rum and coke, I could make yours not as strong if that would help put you at ease.”_

The girl began to get up, gathering the rest of the leftover dishes on the table and bringing them to Yoshiki at the kitchen sink. _“Yoshiki,” She enunciated before continuing, “I guess I will have a small glass with an even smaller amount of alcohol in it. Please.”_

Yoshiki shined her a big toothy smile before turning around to grab the bottle of rum out of his freezer, leaving the dishware in the sink for another time. The rum was a crappy cheap brand, but it was alcohol. Grabbing two glasses and the coke from the fridge, he let Ayumi pour her drink herself.

 _“How much is too much?”_ She asked, looking up at him while holding the bottle with both hands. 

_“You’ve filled the glass with mostly coke, I would pour and count to four in your head, that’ll be one shot. You know. Roughly.”_

Ayumi nodded, saying out loud the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 as she poured the liquor into her glass. Yoshiki grabbed a spoon and swirled her drink around for her. When he noticed her gaze on him, he blushed trying to explain, _“Otherwise the rum will just sit on top…”_

Appearing content with this response, Ayumi took the glass once he had finished. Yoshiki turned to make his own drink before turning back and urging her to ‘clink’ their glasses together.

 _“I’m only having one, Yoshiki.”_ She sassed, lifting her arm to clink her drink with his.

After taking a large sip, Yoshiki grinned, pulling the glass away from his lips slowly, _“One is all it takes to loosen up!”_

Sitting at one of the barstools of his breakfast bar, Yoshiki leaned forward and grabbed the deck of cards sat by the edge. _“You know how to play any card games?”_

He watched the girl shake her head, _“I used to play Mahjong.”_

He laughed in response, _“Ah. Oi, okay well that’s not cards. I can teach you how to play bull? That’s pretty easy.”_

The girl swayed her head, taking another sip of her drink while hiding the disgust on her face fairly badly as she looked around the room. Her eyes seemingly landed on the couch instead. _“Could we watch a movie? I don’t want to use my brain anymore today.”_

Yoshiki put the cards down, laughing at her honesty, _“Yeah my heads had it too. What do you wanna watch?"_

Yoshiki led her over to the couch, sitting down before patting the seat next to him, crossing his right foot underneath his lap as he got comfortable. Ayumi followed suit, however, sat a cushion or so away from him on the other side of the couch, her back leaning up against the armrest. He tried to not let it burn too much, choosing to let the alcohol do that instead as he took another sip of his drink.

_“Did you see The Wind Rises? It came out last year and I still have yet to see it.”_

Yoshiki’s smile fell off his face as his eyelids lowered, looking to Ayumi to see if she was serious. _“The Ghibli movie?”_

Her eyes sparkled, _“Yes! Can we please? I came all the way here.”_

Yoshiki tightened his lips, _‘all the way here’ is about a 10-minute walk…_ before letting out a large sigh, grabbing the remote, and typing it into his on-demand system. _“Tch… okay.”_

 _“Thank you, Yoshiki.”_ He heard, immediately turning his head over to see the girl look so small, her back leaned against the side of the couch, and the drink in her hand halfway gone. A small smile was on her face as she used her other hand to play with the hem on her shirt some more.

Patting her head, Yoshiki hid his smile the best he could as he cooed, _“No problem, Ayumi.”_

Hitting play, Yoshiki got up to grab the blanket that had fallen on the floor by his feet, offering it to Ayumi so she would get comfortable. As she took the blanket, Yoshiki began to feel the liquor provide him confidence, attempting to keep a small portion of the blanket himself to pull her closer. When she only tugged for more of the blanket however as he handed it to her, Yoshiki bit the inside of his cheek, letting it go and returning his attention back to the movie on the screen. 

Around halfway through the film, Yoshiki was feeling pleasantly buzzed from his drink and had no idea what the plot was at all. Looking over to see Ayumi fully engaged, Yoshiki sat back, thinking about every sappy rom-com he had ever watched where the guy held the girl during some movie, or play, or whatever theatrical live number. Shifting his vision to Ayumi once more, he whispered a small “Psst.” to get her attention. As she looked over, he swallowed before saying “ _Hey, I’m kind of cold.”_

 _“Would you like the blanket back?”_ She responded, giggling as she kept an eye on the T.V. _Oi._

Waving his hand, Yoshiki added, _“No, but- would you share?”_

That seemed to get her attention, as her eyes moved from the screen to Yoshiki once more, he saw her gaze squint as she slowly moved to sit next to Yoshiki on the couch so that they both could be underneath the blanket.

 _“Don't try anything.”_ She proclaimed boldly, leaving an inch of space in between the two.

 _“Me? How about you?”_ He shrugged, shifting his weight underneath the blanket so that their thighs were touching.

She mumbled a quick “hmpf” as she took out the hair ties holding in her two pigtails. Yoshiki turned his head, _“I thought you didn’t do that?”_

Almost immediately Ayumi scolded, _“Yeah well it was bothering me having it up, it was too tight.”_

Yoshiki nodded his head, his voice trailing off as he mumbled: “ _Mhm, yeah sure…sure…”_

As the two settled into their positions on the couch, Yoshiki slowly lifted his arm, placing it on top of the couches back behind Ayumi. When the girl didn’t seem to acknowledge it, he let his fingers dangle by her neck, slowly letting a few locks of her hair spiral around his index finger, feigning his attention on the T.V. screen still. _Soft,_ was his first thought. As the movie continued, he noticed Ayumi’s eyes become hooded, the large meal, alcohol, and length of the movie seem to have taken their toll.

Yoshiki slowly lowered his arm to move around her shoulder, helping shift her weight more on his chest. _“You can close your eyes if you need too, I can wake you when the movie is over.”_

Ayumi nodded her head slowly, a hand slowly reaching to Yoshiki's chest and lightly pulling on the fabric of his shirt. Yoshiki sat there gazing over her small figure leaned up against him. He could feel her breaths slow as she relaxed in his arms. Slowly he massaged his thumb in small circles on her back, releasing a slow exhale as he relaxed in the peacefulness of the time being.

As the movie neared its end, Yoshiki grabbed the remote and turned off the T.V. completely, letting Ayumi sit in his arms for just one minute longer…

Her eyes began to flutter open, slowly and groggily she rubbed her left eye as she looked up, _“What time is it?”_

Yoshiki kept his hand on her back for fear if he moved it suddenly the mood would be broken. Peering his vision over to the kitchen clock, he frowned, _“It’s pretty late. The movie just ended and I was about to wake you. Your parents must be thinking about you.”_

Ayumi slowly sat up, and Yoshiki took his arm away unwillingly. She stretched, yawning out a, _“They think I’m at Naomi’s, I said I might be home late.”_

Yoshiki grinned, leaning closer intriguing, _“You thought you’d be here late, huh?”_

Slowly the groggy fog must’ve lifted from her brain, as Ayumi frantically shook her head, moving further to the other side of the couch “ _Not like that! I just didn’t know how long dinner would take!”_

Yoshiki sarcastically nodded his head, leaning against the couch and crossing a leg, _“You wanted something to happen is what it sounds like.”_

He shifted his head over to watch the girl’s cheeks turn bright red, eyebrows furrowed as she sulked, _“Not true...”_

Yoshiki leaned his weight forward, facing Ayumi before looking to the door, hiding his frown, _“Can I walk you home?”_

She shook her head, _“No, I’d rather my parents not potentially see you walk me home after I said I was with Naomi.”_

 _Fair…_ Yoshiki felt his shoulders slump, _“Well, I can walk you to the door.”_

As the two got up, Ayumi gathered her things before turning around at the doorstep. She looked up at him, again beginning to fiddle with the hem of her shirt. She let out a small, _“Thank you for dinner.”_ Bowing her head slightly.

Yoshiki patted her head instead, smiling as she looked up at him, “ _Don’t thank me, you helped! I think it was a pretty good date.”_

He paused on the word date, running his hand through his hair a little exasperated as he followed up, _“If that’s what we were doing… otherwise-”_

He was silenced when he felt a pair of small lips hit his, and the gentle touch of a hand on his shoulder. Ayumi had lifted on her tiptoes, stabilizing herself on his shoulder to kiss him at the door, and Yoshiki was still blabbering?

Shutting up, Yoshiki closed his eyes, returning the kiss, his hand slowly moving to cup her cheek. Before the kiss could continue, Ayumi broke away, redness on her cheeks making her appear almost pink. Yoshiki leaned forward once more, returning a soft kiss to her lips before returning his hand back to his neck, anxiously waiting for the tension to be broken.

_“So, I’ll call you?”_

He received a nod as her hair shook back and forth, free from the pigtails she normally wore. Walking out the door, Yoshiki waved, _“I'll be seeing you, Ayumi."_

The girl turned halfway around as she walked, _“You haven't given up on me yet after all...”_

As he closed the door, Yoshiki slowly touched his fingers to his lips, looking around his now-empty apartment. The space had just felt so full of life, energy, and maybe just on his behalf but definitely sexual tension. It was depressing to stand there in only silence. His legs carried him back to the now-empty couch, pulling the blanket up to his chest as he reached for his phone to text the only person who would possibly care about his night: Satoshi.

_"Food was good.”_

Bzz. “ _That’s all you have to say...”_

“ _The movie was good too, jeez.”_

Bzz. _“Yoshiki this is me asking to hear more.”_

Yoshiki felt a small smile creep upon his face, feeling lucky to have a friend who cared at all.

_“Alright, alright. So she got here around 18:00…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been thinking of adding a chapter five, but I'm unsure of what exactly I want to do and its halting me from continuing writing. To be blunt, if I write chapter five it'd be a just smut. Fluff is cute but I don't see it for Ayumi and Yoshiki, at least not for very long.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Placing a nice bow on my first completed chaptered story. Thank u, everyone who even read it, you all made me smile ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ

The wind hit against the classroom windows from the outside as Ayumi and Yoshiki swept up the classroom in an effort to tidy it up for the day. A light patting of rain tapping on the glass provided the two a steady background noise to work along to. 

_“Oi… so you do this every week?”_ Yoshiki strained his voice over the rain, propelling the broom he was holding against the desk to his side.

 _“Every Wednesday, actually.”_ Ayumi defended, hiding her smile as she continued to sanitize the tabletops. Her hair was once more untied, flowing freely by her shoulders. Yoshiki would’ve sworn he had some impact on the decision.

 _“Yeah, but,”_ He sighed, leaning against the same desk as the broom as he slumped his shoulders. _“It’s clean enough, don't you think?”_

Ayumi looked back and forth before shaking her head, _“Not yet, but it can be soon if you get back to work.”_ She raised an eyebrow and- _Was this a challenge?_ Yoshiki mumbled a response to himself as he peered out the windows in front of him. Their first date had been Friday night, and by Wednesday afternoon she had him doing her chores for her. _So this is how it goes._

 _“I swear you’re making this up because I don’t see a thing. I’ve been sweeping a clean floor for 20 minutes now.”_ He emphasized by pointing at the floor, looking to Ayumi for her reaction. 

Ayumi stepped away from her rag on the desk and closer to the boy, crouching down, pointing at the floor up-close _. “All right there, very dusty.”_

 _“What!?”_ Shocked, Yoshiki crouched alongside her looking closely at the ground, his feet wobbling to hold his weight.

“You don’t see it?” She asked, tilting her head away from the floor and at Yoshiki instead. Looking at the so-called “dust”, Yoshiki suddenly felt a small hand hit his shoulder as his butt hit the floor, falling backward. _“Hey!”_

Ayumi was snickering, standing up and stepping away, holding her hands out to plead the boy not to retaliate. _“I couldn’t help it!”_

Getting back on his feet, Yoshiki stood up and stepped towards the girl who was giggling while frantically stepping backward. As her back hit the desk behind her, she became increasingly aware of the beating in her chest.

 _“You’re cornered now, Shinozaki.”_ Yoshiki acknowledged, raising his chin slightly. _"Are you ready to apologize?"_

 _“Not my first time.”_ Her response was backhanded, not making eye contact with the boy looming over her. The class had been empty for the past hour, most students filed out for the day. She had been in situations far more dangerous than this, but couldn’t kick the way her heart was causing her breath to shorten.

 _“Are you nervous right now?”_ Yoshiki fought the smile attempting to play on his face. 

Ayumi puffed her chest slightly before lifting herself to sit on the desk instead rather than be blockaded by it. The height raised her eye level significantly, now looking directly in Yoshiki’s face.

 _“I am not.”_ She responded coolly, letting her feet swing in the air beneath her.

Yoshiki slowly moved forward, his hands rest on the same table Ayumi sat on. Her legs dug into his chest before cautiously granting approval for the boy to continue towards her, opening slightly.

 _“Are you now?”_ He asked once more, their faces now near one another. Her knees hitting his hips, Yoshiki felt his own heartbeat kick up.

 _“I am not.”_ Ayumi’s voice wavered only slightly, her eye level still not meeting Yoshiki’s. _Liar._

 _“Why not?”_ His head tilted slightly to engage her as he moved forward once more, his thighs being blocked by her own as her legs rested dangled in the air around his hips. There was a pause in the room before there was an answer.

 _“… If you’ve saved my life at risk of your own, why would you hurt me now.”_ It sounded less like a question and more as a statement. Ayumi’s eyes scattered around the room before finally looking back at Yoshiki. He hadn’t been expecting such a thought-out response. At all. _She really thought that way?_

 _“Hm.”_ He let out in response, muting the growing beating of his heart within his own chest. He leaned down, placing his lips softly on her forehead. The kiss lasted just half a beat before he returned his composure, resorting to placing his hand on the back of his neck in an effort to ease the awkwardness he was feeling. 

Looking down, the girl’s cheeks had burned bright red, her expression hidden by the locks of her hair falling by her face. Subconsciously, Yoshiki raised his hand and ran it through her hair, resting the loose strands behind her ear.

“Your hair looks nice down, you know.” He offered.

“Thank you. I'm trying to be laid back.” She responded, gathering her composure before looking up once more, the red hue dulled substantially.

He could've asked a follow-up, such as why she decided to do that. Or why now. If he had anything to do with it. Instead, Yoshiki placed his hand on Ayumi’s cheek as if asking for permission. When she only nodded her head slightly, he leaned down slightly and let their lips lock.

Yoshiki shifted his hips slightly, an unspoken question being answered as Ayumi let go of the lock on her thighs, allowing Yoshiki to lean against her as he deepened the kiss. His hand still rested in her hair as he cautiously laid his other down on the girl's thigh. The action was met with a small hum before it was forgotten. Daring forward, he let his fingertips press slightly against her pleated skirt, his thumb making contact with her bare thigh.

Ayumi’s toes through her slippers slowly began to press into the boy's legs, urging him to move forward. In return, Yoshiki leaned forward, pushing Ayumi to arch back on her hands at the new angle while sat upon the desk. Beginning to feel a familiar heat in the bottom of his stomach he detached the kiss to look at the girl's small frame, her breathing slightly heavy as she looked away in an effort to hide her embarrassment.

Ayumi stared at the window like it was the most interesting thing in the world. She felt the boy's hot gaze on her face as her thighs were wrapped around him, acutely aware of his thumb on her thigh. She couldn’t decide if she’d hoped he’d squeeze the spot or let her go completely. He was towering over her, leaving her to feel small by comparison.

_“This okay?”_

The words broke her out of her trance, looking back up at the boy whose composure seemed to suddenly appear sheepish. Cut off before she could nod, the sound of footsteps began to become apparent outside of the classroom. Stepping away frantically, Yoshiki crashed into the desk behind him, letting out a loud _“Shit- ow….”_

Suddenly the door slid open, a student in a Kisaragi uniform appearing in the doorway.

_“Class rep! I’m glad you’re here, have you seen where Sensei placed my phone after the days’ lesson? I forgot to get it back.”_

A male classmate walked into the room, someone who Yoshiki never really spoke to, their name slipping his mind. Ayumi’s demeanor changed completely, nodding affirmatively as she hopped off of the desk and walked towards the sensei’s podium, pulling the cellphone out one of the compartments.

 _“You need to be better about this in class, you know.”_ She scolded.

The entire transaction happened while Yoshiki gazed on, lost in his own head. _How had Ayumi let him do any of what just happened?_ He tuned back in once he heard his name mentioned, looking back at the two students.

 _“Eh?”_ He questioned, trying to mask that he wasn’t listening.

 _“Oh, Kishinuma-Kun isn’t here for any punishment, he’s just being nice,”_ Ayumi replied, gesturing to the desks around them still in the process of being cleaned.

The unnamed student nodded their head before bowing out of the classroom, leaving the two alone once more.

 _“I am nice.”_ Yoshiki laughed, still working off some of the embarrassment from their interrupted exchange.

 _“Perhaps.”_ Ayumi nodded, her eyes hooded slightly.

Yoshiki watched as the girl's expression darkened, her eyes dilating slightly as she looked at him. The small smile on the girl's face was sultry, her free-flowing strands of hair hitting her cheeks as she spoke. Unaware of where to take this, Yoshiki shook his head in an attempt to clear it. They were in their classroom, in broad daylight. 

_“So”,_ The boy coughed, gesturing towards the desks around him. _“Can we finish this up and get out of here?”_

 _“Oh, yes.”_ Ayumi nodded, grabbing her rag and pointing to the broom Yoshiki long disregarded. _“Sweep up under those last few desks. I’ll finish sanitizing, we get these desks back in order and we’re done.”_

Nodding at his order, Yoshiki got to work once more. As he rearranged the desks, his eyes peeped over towards the small girl’s body move as she cleaned. Her skirt moving with her as she pushed the desks together.

 _“So, would you say I'm a good kisser?”_ Yoshiki asked, still moving his section of the desks so as to not get yelled at for two things.

 _“Why do you have to be so blunt!?”_ Ayumi deflected, her eyes widening in reaction to the boy's question, clenching the rag in her fist.

 _“I want to know!”_ He pressed, not letting the question go.

 _“What does it matter.”_ Ayumi only disputed his points, focusing on her work as she spoke.

_“It's only a question.”_

The girl's reaction was quiet, mumbling something to herself as she turned her back to him once more. Her side of the classroom had begun coming together, appearing as almost normal. Moving quickly, Yoshiki began to get his side up to par, deciding to lie to himself that what she had mumbled had instead been praise for his amazing skill. 

As the classroom began to take shape, their hard labor began to slow. The two chose to sit on opposite desks and take in the final product.

 _“That’s a lot of work to do every Wednesday,”_ Yoshiki grumbled subconsciously, looking around the room.

 _“It moves quickly when you’re not being constantly interrupted with complaints.”_ Ayumi mocked, before quieting her voice _“…But thank you.”_ She bowed her head slightly towards him to further her appreciation. 

_“You say something?”_ He waved her off, lifting himself to his feet as he collected his things.

 _“So, eh,”_ He droned on before turning, facing Ayumi once more. _“As my girlfriend, I can kiss you goodbye now, yeah?”_

Ayumi’s blush was immediate as she began moving the hair out of her face once again. She was remembering why she had it up every day. 

_“I… I guess that’s what that would mean.”_ Was all she could come up with as she gathered her things together.

Yoshiki walked towards the door, waiting for Ayumi to follow. As she did, the two walked out of the building, hands brushing slightly. The trend truly had never died, Yoshiki walked her home no matter her responsibilities that day.

...

Walking up to the girl's house, Yoshiki kicked his foot in the dirt as the two wrapped up their conversation.

 _“I’ll talk to ya soon.”_ Yoshiki nodded, _“Maybe text you for help with my work later tonight.”_

Ayumi’s eyes lit up as she nodded, _“I am a resource! I’d love that.”_

Moving forward, Yoshiki planted a soft kiss on the girl’s lips, sure to make it gentle and brief. Her parents or sister could be watching from inside the home, he didn’t want to embarrass the girl, after all.

As the kiss parted, Ayumi smiled as she waved.

_“Bye Yoshiki.”_

_“Sayonara, Ayumi!”_ He grinned in response, turning on his feet as he made his way home.

Walking away from her home, Yoshiki let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. 

Life after Heavenly Host was not easy. The appearance of happiness was short-lived or faked altogether. The four classmate’s communication of the topic was brief if not non-existent. Each member of the small group of survivors had to somehow live their lives as if it could continue. Naomi put on a front but her mental health had begun visibly declining while dealing with the trauma. Satoshi was left trying to keep his little sister as well as Naomi together, frequently forgetting to focus on himself. Yoshiki tried to involve Satoshi in his life one way or another if not to solely lift the load of the existential burden it is now to move on. 

Meanwhile, Yoshiki was putting more and more effort into his job and keeping busy as well, while Ayumi could barely sleep at night without focusing on thinking of new solutions to appease the chaos she’d created. She never spoke of her PTSD but yet again, neither had any of the rest of them. As Yoshiki walked away from her house that afternoon though, it was the first day since returning he felt his heart genuinely begin to cease its ache. If he could be here for Shinozaki, alongside the others, slowly but surely, they could begin the process of healing. 

Yoshiki looked down to grab his phone, flipping it open before typing out a text to Satoshi. _"How're you doing tonight?"_


End file.
